The embodiments described herein relate generally to bearing assemblies, and more specifically, to bearing assemblies with a mechanism for mounting or locking the bearing assembly to a shaft.
Bearing assemblies are utilized to permit the relative motion of one component or assembly with respect to another component or assembly. The bearing assembly typically has a first component, for example an inner ring, that is fixed to a first component and a second component, for example an outer ring that is fixed to a second component. The first component is permitted to have relative motion, typically to rotate, relative to the second component.
Alternatively, a widely used configuration to permit rotation between the components is in the form of a set of rolling elements that are positioned between the cylindrical surface of one component and the cylindrical surface of the second component. The rolling element may be balls, needles, cylinders or cylinders with spherical outer peripheries, also known as spherical rollers. A single row of rolling elements may be used or two or more rows may be used in a spaced apart configuration. The rolling elements may be placed in adjoining relationship on the outer periphery of the inner element and on the inner periphery of the outer element. Alternatively the rolling elements may be positioned in a spaced apart relationship, separated from each other by a separator in the form of a retainer or cage. The rolling elements and the inner element, ring or race and the outer element, ring or race form a rolling element bearing.
Many bearing assembly application provide for the rotation of the inner element which is secured to a shaft while the outer element is secured to a housing. Typically the inner element rotates, but many applications provide for the outer element rotating and the inner element stationary.
Often the bearing assembly is mounted in a housing and the inner element is secured to a shaft. The housing may be in the form of a housing with a mounting arrangement for mounting to a surface with fasteners. Such a housing may be in the form of a flange housing, a hanger housing, a take-up housing or a surface mount housing, also known as a pillow block.
For many bearing applications, the loads on the bearing assembly are steady and radial through the inner element and the outer element. For such bearing applications, the fit of the outer element to the housing is not critical and may be in clearance. Also for such bearing applications, the fit of the inner element to the shaft is not critical and a simple collar with a locking screw with a point to contact the shaft or a keyway in the shaft and on the collar for fitting with a key may be sufficient to secure the inner element to the shaft.
In a number of applications the loads on the bearing assembly are not steady making the securement of the shaft to the inner element of the bearing very important. The applications include those with eccentric loading such as construction, impaction and vibratory equipment including shakers and vibratory conveyors. In such applications, the typical shaft to inner element securing means are not adequate. Such typical securing means include a simple collar with a locking screw with a point to contact the shaft or a keyway in the shaft and on the collar for fitting with a key.
Methods to provide a more secure locking of the inner element to the shaft have included an eccentric collar fitted to the shaft and inner element and a split collar that is squeezed onto the shaft and/or the inner element. Heavier press or shrink fit of the inner element onto the shaft may provide for improved securing of the beaming to the shaft. While these methods have provided mixed results in securing the shaft to the bearing, removal of the shaft from the bearing may be problematic as the shaft/inner element interface may have fretting corrosion making disassembly problematic.
The present invention is directed to alleviate at least some of these problems with the prior art.